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Overview

Guest Speaker: Hannah Moore, CFP®, Owner of Guiding Well and Amplified Planning

 

This session examined the future of financial planning talent, emphasizing the profession’s urgent need for 100,000 new advisors by 2030 and the importance of developing structured training pathways for next-generation planners. Moore shared insights from her Externship Program, which has trained over 6,500 participants, and introduced complementary offerings like the Amplify Planning Core and Accelerator Program, designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world advisory skills.

The Talent Shortage in Financial Planning

Moore highlighted data showing that the financial planning profession faces a critical talent gap, with at least 70,000–100,000 new advisors needed by 2030 to sustain client demand

Training Pathways for the Next …

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Key Causes

• Aging advisor demographics: A large portion of CFP® professionals are nearing retirement.
• Lack of structured onboarding and training: Many firms lack consistent development programs for new hires.
• Limited awareness of career pathways: Students and career changers often find financial planning’s job roles confusing.

Moore noted that most firms still rely on three main recruitment sources:

1. Existing networks
2. University programs
3. Other firms (poaching talent)

This approach overlooks a significant pool of career changers—people bringing valuable professional experience from other industries.

The Externship: A Scalable Solution

The Amplified Planning Externship began in 2020 as a response to COVID-related internship cancellations. It has since evolved into a leading virtual training experience for aspiring financial planners.

Program Highlights

• Over 6,500 participants to date; 2,000 joined in summer 2025.
• Duration: 8 weeks, ~20 hours per week (June–August).
• Cost: $447, with discounts for early registrants.
• Format: Combination of live and recorded content, asynchronous flexibility.
• Content:
  • 60+ expert-led sessions covering financial planning topics.
  • Access to five major software platforms (eMoney, Redtail, RightCapital, etc.).
  • Real client meetings, plan-building exercises, and exposure to multiple firm models.
  • Emphasis on behavioral-based training—the “how” of client relationships, not just technical knowledge.

Firms increasingly use the externship as part of their internship or onboarding structure. In 2025, over 80 firms integrated it into their training frameworks.

“The externship shows what financial planning looks like—not just theory, but real client interaction,” Moore said, emphasizing that it helps participants “see if this career is right for them and where they might fit within it.”

Training Pathways for the Next …

Understanding the Changing Workforce

Demographics

• 40% of externs are career changers, often transitioning from teaching, engineering, music, or corporate roles.
• 45% of participants are women, and diversity among racial and ethnic backgrounds is 3–4x higher than industry averages.

Motivations

• Over 90% of participants cite “wanting to help people” as their main reason for entering financial planning.
• Many are driven by personal experiences or a desire to end generational cycles of financial hardship.
• Both Gen Z entrants and career changers prioritize firm culture, mentorship, and meaningful work over compensation alone.

Key Talent Expectations

1. Strong firm culture and values alignment
2. Mentorship and coaching opportunities
3. Clear job descriptions and defined career paths
4. Supportive feedback culture and structured training
5. Flexibility (including hybrid or remote options)

Training and Development Challenges

Moore emphasized that while firms want to hire talent with “3–5 years of experience,” few are willing to train entry-level candidates to gain that experience—a cycle that perpetuates the shortage

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She identified three critical alignment areas for firms:

1. Job Alignment: Clear descriptions of day-to-day responsibilities, expectations, and success metrics.
2. Career Path Alignment: Ongoing discussions about advancement opportunities—career paths should be living documents, not shelf checkboxes.
3. Values Alignment: Candidates want to work at firms that demonstrate social impact, integrity, and client-centered missions.

Moore encouraged firms to highlight purpose-driven initiatives, such as supporting pro bono work or volunteering through organizations like the Foundation for Financial Planning.

Knowledge vs. Behavioral Competencies

A central theme of the presentation was distinguishing between knowledge-based and behavioral-based competencies.

Moore, who chaired the National FPA Behavioral Competency Task Force, helped develop a competency model identifying six behavioral skill areas, including:

• Critical thinking
• Client communication and empathy
• Change management
• Team collaboration
• Adaptability
• Professional ethics and self-awareness

“If we can name a skill, we can measure a skill—then we can train to that skill,” Moore said, stressing that firms must go beyond designations to develop interpersonal and emotional intelligence.

Practical Training Methods

• Role-playing and scenario-based learning
• Self-reflection exercises after client meetings
• Shadowing senior advisors
• Coaching and 360-degree feedback loops
• AI-powered role-playing simulations (coming to the Accelerator Program)

These methods help advisors translate technical knowledge into effective client interactions—a critical differentiator in an era of increasing AI automation of technical tasks.

Amplified Planning Programs

1. The Externship

• 8-week immersive program (June–August annually)
• $447 per participant
• Hands-on training with multiple planning software systems, real client cases, and industry guest speakers.
• Ideal for students, new planners, and firms seeking standardized internship structures.
• Info: https://www.amplifiedplanning.com/externship

2. Amplify Planning Core

• Ongoing monthly subscription – $100/month.
• Library of 50+ recorded client meetings, each with interactive coaching commentary every 3–5 minutes.
• Includes two monthly coaching calls (skill-building + live Q&A).
• Used by firms for continuous learning and onboarding.
• Info: https://www.amplifiedplanning.com/core

3. The Accelerator Program

• Intensive 3-month firm training – $3,000 per participant.
• Focuses on client relationship readiness, communication, and behavioral confidence.
• Incorporates AI role-playing simulations to practice emotional and situational awareness.
• Ideal for firms transitioning new hires into client-facing roles.
• Info: https://www.amplifiedplanning.com/accelerator

Moore noted that firms increasingly integrate these programs into internal career ladders, using them as benchmarks for promotions and skill development.

The Role of Assessment Tools

In the Q&A, Moore discussed using assessments like Birkman, CliftonStrengths, or emotional intelligence tools to evaluate new hires. She supports their use as complementary indicators, not substitutes for real-world observation:

“They’re a good measure, but true competency shows up in practice — in how someone interacts with clients.”

Compliance and Privacy in Training

To incorporate real client meetings into the externship and Amplify Core:

• Clients provide written consent for recordings.
• All identifying information is scrubbed and anonymized.
• Amplified Planning works under Guiding Well’s compliance structure, ensuring adherence to SEC and privacy regulations

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Key Takeaways for Firms

1. Talent is motivated by purpose, not just pay. Highlight your firm’s impact and values.
2. Structured mentorship and training are more important to recruits than firm size or title.
3. Behavioral-based training—listening, empathy, adaptability—builds stronger advisors than technical skills alone.
4. Diversity and inclusion are rising naturally when training pipelines are accessible and supportive.
5. AI will automate technical tasks, making human connection the advisor’s key differentiator.

Action Items

• Consider adding Amplified Planning programs to new advisor onboarding or internships.
• Use assessment tools (e.g., Birkman, EQ-i 2.0) to evaluate behavioral competencies.
• Audit firm job descriptions and career paths for clarity and values alignment.
• Support pro bono or volunteer financial planning to attract purpose-driven talent.
• Explore Amplified Planning resources:
  • Externship: https://www.amplifiedplanning.com/externship
  • Core: https://www.amplifiedplanning.com/core
  • Accelerator: https://www.amplifiedplanning.com/accelerator